Facebook turns 10 today. What started out as a side project in Mark Zuckerberg's Harvard dorm room is now a social network powerhouse - a way to waste time and stalk your ex, but also a platform for anyone with an Internet connection and an idea.

Facebook has made its share of headlines over the past 10 years; PCMag has more than 1,700 stories on the social network alone, as well as 25 reviews. To commemorate the achievement, Facebook is letting its users look back with a new tool that provides them with a collection of their biggest moments on the site.

But PCMag has also compiled a list of 10 milestones in Facebook's history. They might not be the biggest or most controversial, but they made an impact on how people interact with the site, and have shaped what the social network has become. Check out our list, and add your own Facebook moments in the comments below.

Facebook Mobile Launches: Facebook's adventures in mobile date back to 2006, before the iPhone and the launch of Android. But things didn't really pick up until years later. When the firm released documents ahead of its 2012 IPO, Facebook revealed that it had 425 million mobile users, but was not yet making any money off them. That has changed pretty significantly, with Zuckerberg last year referring to Facebook as a "mobile company."

Opening to the General Public: Facebook debuted at Zuckerberg's alma mater, Harvard University. It later expanded to Stanford, Columbia and Yale, and was available on 800 college networks a little over a year after its debut. But it wasn't until Sept. 26, 2006 that Facebook graduated from college and high school students to the general public - opening up the social network to anyone with an email address. Three months later, it was at 12 million users, up from 6 million a year before.

Beacon: Among Facebook's most well-known privacy snafus was Beacon, which tied purchases outside of Facebook to your account and broadcast it on your news feed. A number of users didn't really understand how it worked, though, and ended up posting information about holiday, birthday, and anniversary gifts in full view of the intended recipient, prompting complaints that "Facebook ruined Christmas." The gaffe prompted a mea culpa from Zuckerberg, the social network was hit with a class-action suit, and it ultimately shuttered Beacon for good.

The "Like" Button Is Born: It might seem like the "like" button has always been on Facebook, but it didn't actually appear until Feb. 9, 2009. As PCMag put it at the time, "being lazy on Facebook just got a little easier," but that blue and white thumbs up icon is now synonymous with Facebook.

Open Graph: Facebook looked beyond the confines of its own website in 2010 with the launch of Open Graph, which allowed third-party sites to tie their users' activities to Facebook. If you listened to a song on Spotify or watched a TV show on Hulu, you could share that on Facebook with minimal effort. But not everyone enjoyed sharing their embarrassing playlists or guilty pleasures on Facebook, forcing services like Spotify to let users opt out. But it's all part of Zuckerberg's efforts to "connect the world" and make it more open - even if his account is locked down.

The President at Facebook: In a sign of the times, President Obama selected Facebook as the site for a 2011 town hall in Silicon Valley. Just seven years after launching his social network, Zuckerberg - who ditched the trademark hoodie for the occasion - was quizzing the president of the United States about immigration, STEM, and clean energy.

Facebook Goes Public: With much fanfare, Facebook went public on May 18, 2012 on the Nasdaq. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the blowout for which investors were hoping thanks to some opening day glitches. The stock price suffered and Zuckerberg later admitted that the experience was "disappointing." Still, the IPO made Zuck and his initial investors very (very) wealthy, so don't pity this gang too much.

Facebook Buys Instagram: One month before the IPO, meanwhile, Facebook shelled out an astonishing $1 billion for photo-sharing site Instagram. In a note about the purchase, Zuckerberg said Facebook had focused for years on "building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family." The Instagram acquisition will "offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests," he said. There's also the question of making money: Instagram ads rolled out last year.

Facebook 'Deceived' Users: In 2009, Facebook rolled out changes intended to provide users with more control over access to profile content. But once again, users were confused as to what information on their profiles was public and private. The issue was picked up by the Federal Trade Commission, which in 2011 settled charges that the social network deceived consumers by failing to keep their information private, despite assurances that it would. "I founded Facebook on the idea that people want to share and connect with people in their lives, but to do this everyone needs complete control over who they share with at all times," Zuckerberg said in announcing the FTC deal.

One Billion Facebook Users: By Oct. 2012, Facebook had topped the 1 billion active user milestone. "Helping a billion people connect is amazing, humbling and by far the thing I am most proud of in my life. I am committed to working every day to make Facebook better for you, and hopefully together one day we will be able to connect the rest of the world too," Zuckerberg said at the time.

Chloe Albanesius has been with PCMag.com since April 2007, most recently as Executive Editor for News and Features. Prior to that, she worked for a year covering financial IT on Wall Street for Incisive Media. From 2002 to 2005, Chloe covered technology policy for The National Journal's Technology Daily in Washington, DC. She has held internships at NBC's Meet the Press, washingtonpost.com, the Tate Gallery press office in London, Roll Call, and Congressional Quarterly. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from American University...
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